Cool gadgets and new gizmos - news and reviews

VLC 2.0 Media Player: Still the Best, Still Free to Download

Ionut Popa — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:39:51 +0000

I still remember the time when I had installed Windows Media Player, BSPlayer, QuickTime and a few several other media player programs just to be able to playback all kinds of media files floating around at that time. All this came to an end when I’ve discovered VLC media player, a free alternative that has the big advantage of including the video and audio codecs in the software install kit, so you don’t have to install and update them, which makes it easier to maintain your Windows install up to date. VLC is not perfect, but with version 2.0, available [...]

Original article - VLC 2.0 Media Player: Still the Best, Still Free to Download

ASUS 1025C, 1025CE and 1225C EEE PC netbooks unboxing and first impression

Ionut Popa — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:38:17 +0000

Believe it or not, netbooks are still a product consumers want and buy. Why else would ASUS launch no less than three new EEE PCs with the Intel Cedar Trail platform. I say new because I’ve already mentioned the X101CH last month. The three new ASUS netbooks are the 1025C, 1025 CE and 1225C EEE PCs (first two are 10 inches while the latter is an 11.6 inch netbook). All three were unboxed on video and previewed by our friends at Netbooklive here and here. They’re pre-production samples, with final products expected to retail in March, with slightly different specs [...]

Original article - ASUS 1025C, 1025CE and 1225C EEE PC netbooks unboxing and first impression

How to Download and Backup all your Google Docs files with one click

Ionut Popa — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 20:43:35 +0000

If you are like me and like to have everything backed up and available on your computers (and other mobile devices) at any time you’re probably using solutions like Dropbox and Google Docs. If with Dropbox your files are also stored on your PC, so you’re covered on matter what not the same can be said about Google Docs, or any of their services for that matter. What it means to you is that at any given moment if your Google account is unavailable (or closed for some reason) it’s almost impossible for you to access your files. You can [...]

Original article - How to Download and Backup all your Google Docs files with one click

GeChic OnLap 1301 USB monitor review: dual monitor for your laptop

Ionut Popa — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:46:03 +0000

I don’t know about you, but personally I’ve been using a laptop for work for the past couple of years, even if the price and performance difference could justify in some cases a desktop. I find today’s laptops sufficiently powerful for the tasks I’m performing, except one thing: screen real estate. If you feel the same then you might want to take a look at the GeChic OnLap 1301 (official page), a 13.3 inch LCD monitor that get power via USB and connects to your laptop via either VGA or HDMI. It’s a cheap alternative for building a multi-monitor desktop. [...]

Original article - GeChic OnLap 1301 USB monitor review: dual monitor for your laptop

Best eReader: top 2012 eReaders compared and reviewed

Ionut Popa — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:38:10 +0000

Best 6 and 7 inch eReaders comparison article with 2012 models, complete with reviews and purchasing options. Amazon Kindle, Barnes and Noble Nook, Kobo and even Sony made it to this chart!

Original article - Best eReader: top 2012 eReaders compared and reviewed

Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 personal review

Alexandra Fistic — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 22:36:14 +0000

Image has been from the ancient times more than just a picture, it has been entertainment. The last ten years technology made the moving image to go from cinemas in the homes of people who have something to tell or to share or both. This is how the web camera gain ground and became popular among people worldwide. Why is that? Simple, we all have our stories to tell! And the image is more than suggestive in telling a story. And little by little this industry developed and now we have come to ask for HD resolutions and so and [...]

Original article - Logitech HD Pro Webcam C910 personal review

Asus X101CH EEE PC netbook preview [video]

Ionut Popa — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 22:01:06 +0000

We haven’t talked a lot here on GadgetRoad about netbooks lately, but we have a novelty: the cheap ASUS X101CH EEE PC, a 10 inch netbook with the new Cedar Trail Atom platform from Intel. The preview has made my our friends from NetbookLive.com. This is the successor to the this years’s X101H, and will arrive on market in February 2012, so until then you have to rely on previews like this, that take into account a 99% final version of the product you’ll actually going to buy next year. The hardware Let’s begin with the construction, which doesn’t follow [...]

Original article - Asus X101CH EEE PC netbook preview [video]

Sony PSPgo ultra portable gaming console: my thoughts

Alexandra Fistic — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 20:25:18 +0000

Gaming is a beautiful passion, but it should not keep one locked in the house, so while we all demanded more portability, the manufacturers decided to obey and deliver. This way a new type of hardware has seen the light of the day: the portable gaming console. The consumer’s market abounds in variety of offer, but one product of the kind that we thought it wordy of attention is the Sony PSPgo. Stay close to us and see if it could satisfy and match your needs and expectations! The Sony PSPgo features a 16 GB of internal memory and Bluetooth [...]

Original article - Sony PSPgo ultra portable gaming console: my thoughts

Microsoft Arc Touch Laptop Mouse: Portable and Flexible

Alexandra Fistic — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 19:38:04 +0000

The pointing device, commonly known as the ‘’mouse’’, is nowadays one of the most needed tools for computing. It has evolved during past years and now there are lots of kinds of mice: regular mice, gaming mice and, nevertheless, laptop mice. The last category is the one approached in this article. The laptop mouse was invented due to the user’s need of more portability, therefore this kind of mouse had to be more portable, light weighted, with reduced dimensions and more easy to use. A concrete example is the Microsoft Arc Touch Laptop mouse. Follow the lines below and see [...]

Original article - Microsoft Arc Touch Laptop Mouse: Portable and Flexible

Microsoft LifeCam Studio 1080p HD Webcam: Pictures tell stories!

Alexandra Fistic — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:35:02 +0000

Pictures do tell stories. They have done that from the most ancient times when people tried to scratch cave’s walls in order to tell something about someone or just something else (like phenomena, for instance). Nowadays, we don’t scratch walls anymore; we post on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. And that is why a webcam has become a useful tool of communication. The criteria in choosing one are mostly the following: autofocus, HD resolution, good sound and the list stops pretty much here. The thing is it could all be reduced at HD sound and image, so an HD webcam. Such [...]

Original article - Microsoft LifeCam Studio 1080p HD Webcam: Pictures tell stories!

Battery Life: The Next Big Smartphone Revolution

Ionut Popa — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 17:25:28 +0000

It seems as though smartphones are getting more powerful by the month. Manufacturers continue to push the envelope, producing devices that dazzle on all levels. There are already multiple dual-core processor devices on the market, and by next year we could see quad-core smartphones. Yet this isn’t a universal positive. While faster processor speeds will allow our devices to do more, they also drain batteries at increasing rates. This is a pretty large obstacle going forward, and it’s one that carriers and manufacturers alike will have to overcome. Contemporary smartphones already perform a number of functions. In fact, they take [...]

Original article - Battery Life: The Next Big Smartphone Revolution

HP Wireless Laser Mobile Mouse: Your Laptop Buddy

Ionut Popa — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:40:07 +0000

Sometimes classic products do not perform as expected, but sometimes new products with classic looks and high tech features appear on the market and they do deserve a shot! Such an example is the HP Wireless Laser Mobile Mouse for laptops. Mice shapes have changed these days, they went from the usual colors to much more joyful ones, which are not bad, but black still is one of my favourite colours! Behind that classic design of the HP Wireless Laser Mobile Mouse, wonderful skills are hidden and it would be a shame to miss them! If we got your attention, [...]

Original article - HP Wireless Laser Mobile Mouse: Your Laptop Buddy

Best Ergonomic Office Chairs: There’s a Reason a Top Model Costs Much

Ionut Popa — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 21:12:12 +0000

Ergonomic office chairs are the cheapest way to improve your health if you work all day at the office. Invest now in an ergonomic chair so you don't regret it later on when your back will hurt

Original article - Best Ergonomic Office Chairs: There’s a Reason a Top Model Costs Much

Best Wireless Gaming Routers for 2012: When Games Are a Prority

Ionut Popa — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:05:47 +0000

If you're a serious gamer is worth investing into a wireless gaming router. Only the best gaming routers provide a shutter and lag free multi-player gaming experience

Original article - Best Wireless Gaming Routers for 2012: When Games Are a Prority

Sony PRS-T1 eReader with Wi-Fi: Black, White or Red

Ionut Popa — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:50:02 +0000

One of the latest inventions that made waves on the consumers market was the ebook reader. That may be enough reason for some to believe that reading is fashionable again, I personally think that it was never out of fashion, because books have carried valuable information and entertainment all the way, throughout the ages. But, fact is that the book’s shape had to change, had to evolve and it did. The ebook readers allow one to store thousands of books in one small device and carry them around, plus the access to internet and useful applications, common for people nowadays. [...]

Original article - Sony PRS-T1 eReader with Wi-Fi: Black, White or Red

Bose Companion 20 computer speakers: The Essential Gaming Sound

Alexandra Fistic — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 22:03:06 +0000

The sound of the game you play is one of most important aspects. You might lose or you might win what really matters, is the fun you get while playing! In order to have fun, one must immerse into the environment of the game. Just try to imagine a horror film and its fullest part of suspense. Would you be able to feel that suspense in the absence of the background music? Probably not and the same goes for your favorite game. What good quality does is help you enjoy better the movie, the TV show, the game! One of [...]

Original article - Bose Companion 20 computer speakers: The Essential Gaming Sound

NOOK Simple Touch eReader: The Cheap eBook Reader

Alexandra Fistic — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 17:19:18 +0000

Books are, from ancient times, one of the best entertainers and carriers of knowledge. And that is the reason they still exist today and will continue existing for a long time! The technology advancements brought on the market the ebook reader, an advanced way to carry and read books. The advantages of such a machine are multiple, but here are some of them: being able to carry thousands of books in a device that fits into your pocket or to access the internet from wherever you are and more depending on the mark and the model of ebook readers. Such [...]

Original article - NOOK Simple Touch eReader: The Cheap eBook Reader

Harman Kardon SoundSticks II: Looks Like It Came From The Future!

Alexandra Fistic — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:46:53 +0000

A passionate gamer has got to know the importance of every single one of his gaming tools. Most of those gamers would agree that the good quality sound is a must, in order to get inside the game and immerse in its atmosphere. Although the game sounds nice in the headsets, having the entire space that surrounds you vibrating just like your favorite game, is better. This review is for those in search of a good gaming tool related to sound and, hopefully, it will help you decide whether the SciFi looking Harman Kardon SoundSticks II Speaker System matches your [...]

Original article - Harman Kardon SoundSticks II: Looks Like It Came From The Future!

Cohesion XP 10.2 Gaming Chair: Wireless Audio and Comfort

Alexandra Fistic — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:10:56 +0000

One of the most important aspects about every piece of gaming hardware is the ergonomics. If the mouse, the keyboard, the keypad are not comfortable, than the gaming session will end soon, which is enough reason for you to be dissatisfied. The same rule is, in fact, applicable for every object surrounding you, such as the chair and most of us will admit that the chair’s importance in gaming is huge. Could you win a battle after, let’s say two hour (plus or minus) of seating on an uncomfortable chair? No, if you would have to change positions more than [...]

Original article - Cohesion XP 10.2 Gaming Chair: Wireless Audio and Comfort

LG X-Note Z330 is a stylish pricey ultrabook

Ionut Popa — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:35:07 +0000

With the ultrabook laptops starting to gain traction in sales it’s normal for big brands to jump into the train, the latest to do so being LG with the X-Note Z330, an ultrabook 13 inch notebook that looks a lot like the Apple MacBook Air from profile. And that’s not a bad thing, considering the MacBook Air is probably the best ultrabook out there, even if Apple doesn’t call it so. As size and weight we’re definitely into the ultrabook territory: 14.7mm (0.58-inches) in thickness, 1.21kg (2.67 pounds) weight. The design uses brushed aluminium everywhere and black on the screen bezel. [...]

Original article - LG X-Note Z330 is a stylish pricey ultrabook